The present invention relates to refrigerator mounting apparatus and pertains particularly to levelling apparatus for levelling vehicle mounted refrigerators.
Many portable recreational vehicles have furnishings which include a refrigerator that makes the vehicle suitable for living quarters. Many of the refrigerators installed in such vehicles are the absorption-type utilizing a gas flame or electric heating element to heat the refrigerant such as a strong ammonia solution to cause it to boil. Heat and gravity supplies the circulating power for the refrigerant. The vaporized refrigerant circulates up through the condenser where it is charged to a liquid.
When the liquid ammonia passes through the freezing plate, it is again changed into a vapor by heat absorbed from the food and cabinet area. If the vapor is trapped or partially trapped by liquid ammonia, preventing it from passing out of the evaporator (or freezing plate) due to an unlevel condition, the result will be a total or partial loss of refrigeration.
This condition creates a necessity for maintaining the refrigerator level when the vehicle is stationary for proper operation. This requires levelling the refrigerator each time that the vehicle is parked or set up for overnight use.
The refrigerator in such vehicles is typically securely anchored to the floor or a wall of the vehicle chassis so that it will not move about during movement of the vehicle. The refrigerator is typically installed and adjusted to be level when the vehicle is level.
This mounting arrangement typically requires that the vehicle be levelled each time it is parked, so that the refrigerator will be level and function properly. Without the refrigerator levelled, the refrigerant within the coils will not properly flow within the refrigerator circuit. This requires that the vehicle be levelled, either by special jacks or by driving the vehicle onto blocks that must be carried and stored in the vehicle. Both of these approaches are not only time consuming, but are unpleasant tasks during severe weather conditions.
It is therefore desirable that improved apparatus be available for easily and conveniently levelling a refrigerator within a recreational vehicle.